Combination internal-combustion and steam engine



April 1931. P. E. PERRENOUD 1,802,328

coNBINATIoN INTERNAL COMBUSTION AND STEAM ENGINE Filed Jan. 20. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITN :ssss INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 28, 1931. P. E. PERRENO UD 0 COMBINATION INTERNAL COMBUSTION AND S TEAM ENGINE I Filed Jan. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY I v ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT clerics COMBINATION INTERNAL-COMBUSTION AND STEAM ENGINE Application filed January 20, 1927. Serial No. 162,319.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines operating under the well known two cycle principle, together with means for utilizing steam expansively at the side of a piston arranged in the explosive chamber and opposite from the explosive side thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact and efficient engine, which is simple in construction, operating without the necesre sity of the usual valve mechanism and in which the moving partsof the engine are materially reduced.

Another object of the invention is to provi-de an engine whereby practically all the waste from the exploding of the .fuel therein is utilized in the generation of steam, and at the same time providing an eflicient cooling system adapted to maintain all the working parts at a normal temperature and thus pro- 29 mote the efiiciency thereof.

The invention consists generally of an engine havingits cylindersand pistons connected in pairs, in tandem relation, with an ntermediate chamber interposed between the cylinders and likewise connected in tandem therewith. This intermediate chamber is used for a steam box, having a packing box fitted between each cylinder. The pistons are connected together by means of a relatively 39 elongated connecting rod which serves the triple purpose; first, as a connecting rod to connect the pair of pistons for simultaneous,

movement; second as a feed pipe having a passageway through the center providing means for transferring gases or explosive mixture from one cylinder to the other and third: to provide means for intermittently feeding the steam from the steam box to the ombustion chamber above the upper piston during the reciprocating movement of the same.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction and combination of the various elements comprising the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forminga part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view through the engine with the. pistons at the'lowerjend of the down stroke and I v Figure 2 is'a similar view with the pistons shown in an opposite or in upper position at the compression stroke.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 indicates the lower or compression cylinder, 2 indicates the upper or Working cylinder with its upper end arranged as an internal combustion chamber and its lower end constituting ast-eam expansion chamber. Intermediate the cylinders, in alinement therewith, is a steam box 3 having packing boxes 4- and 5 respectivelyto prevent any leakage between the cylinders and the steam box. The letters A and B designate pistons operable in cylinders 1 and 2 respectively with a conn c ing rod C, connecting the same for simultaneous movement. The piston A is provided with a Wrist pin D and connecting rod E, which latter connects the lower piston to the crank shaft in the usual manner, the crank shaft not being shown.

"lvhen the' pistons are travelling 'on the downward stroke, piston A draws in a charge of fuel mixed with air, or an explosive mixture, through the intake pipe 6, the suction stroke serving to open a check valve 7 arranged in said intakepipe. \Vhen' the pistons return on the upstroke, this explosive mixture is compressed in cylinder 1 until the piston approaches its uppermost position. A by-pass 8, is formed in the wall of the upper endof the cylinder 1, havingbothends communicating with the cylinder at diiferent horizontal "planes, the lower end of which is adapted to communicate with the passage way 9 formed in the connecting rod C, by means of lateral extension 9A inserted through the wall of the piston A for register? ing with the by-pass. A check valve 10 is mounted in the'lateral extension 9A adapted to open by the action of the compressed fuel, c

the upper end of the passageway 9 also carries a check valve 10A similarly arranged and adapted to control the discharge of the fuel into the combustion chamber of the cylinder 2. Thus, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the mixture in cylinder l forces its way tljirough passageway into the pipe of pa ssageway 9', opening check valves, 10 and 1064 m nth uppe end of cylinder 2! When the pistons are at the endof the compression vii stroke, piston A has just enough clearance with the cylinder head so that it will not strike, thereby forcing practically all of the mixture from the cylinder.

When the pistons are at the end of the compression stroke, the mixture has been forced from cylinder 1 into cylinder 2, Where it is ignited in the usual manner with the spark plug 15, thus driving the piston down on the power stroke and when the pistons have reached the lower end of the power stroke, as shown in Figure 1, piston B uncovers exhaust ports 17A allowing the burnt gases to exhaust through ports 17A into ex- LUSC pipe 17.

The cylinder 2 is provided with a water jacket 18 having a steam dome 19 at its top and within which is arranged the intake end of a steam feed pipe 20, having its discharge and connnunicating with the steam box 3. The upper end of the connecting rod is formed with a hollow section C1, having its walls separated from the passageway 9 and extends downwardly from a point adjaent the upper end of the rod to a point below the lower edge of the upper piston B, said hollowed section being provided with a series of ports 21 and 21A at its lower and upper portion respectively, the upper ports comnunicating with the cylinder 2 beneath the piston head therein and the lower ports communicating with the steam box 3 at the extreme down stroke of the piston.v

It will be noted from Figure 1 of the drawng that ports 2l-cominunicating with the steam box 3 are in position toallow steam to enter the hollow section (11 travelling therethrough and coming out through ports 21A in the under side of the piston B. Ports 21A are so arranged so that the steam Will have to come into contact with the head of piston B so as to take up part of the heat from the piston, which has been created and stored in the piston from the explosion in the uper chamber, which thereby superheats the steam, greatly increasing its expanding power and also cooling the piston whereby to keep the same at an even working temperature.

While the pistons are at the lower end of the down stroke, as shown in Figure 1, the lower end of the pipe 12, extending laterally through the lower wall of the piston 13, is adapted to contact with the bypass 11, Yormed in the lower wall of the cylinder 2 and allowing part of the steam to force its way through the by-pass 11 into the pipe 12 and opening check valve 13 and 13A arranged respectively at the lower and upper ends of lhe pipe and into the combustion chamber above the piston B, this means thus being utilized for driving the burnt gases out of the combustion end of the cylinder 2. As the steam goes through check valve 13A it strikes the bafiie plate 14, attached to the top of the l mosses piston, thus deflecting the steam and cansing the same to circulate through the cylinder away from the exhaust ports 17A. After the burnt gases have been driven out of the cylinder and piston has covered exhaust ports at the initial movement of its upward stroke, the cylinder will remain full of steam so as to maintain the same at about atmospheric pressure.

Steam begins entering ports 21 as the ports emerge through the packing box while the pistons are going on the down stroke and continues until the pistons have returned on the upstroke and ports 21 pass from the steam box. After these ports pass through the packing box the steam that is then in the lower end of the cylinder 2 is expanded by reason of the heat stored in piston B to aid in the driving of the pistons on the upstroke and when the pistons have reached the position as shown in Figure 2 piston B uncovers the exhaust ports 17A from the lower end allowing the steam to exhaust through the same exhaust as the burnt gases.

The cooling of the engine is accomplished by providing a water jacket 22 around the cylinder 1 and a similar jacket or boiler 18 around the cylinder 2, cold water being first taken into cooling system through a pipe 23 connected with jacket 22. This keeps compressing cylinder at a low temperature. The warm water is taken from jacket 22 to a pipe 25 into a water jacket 24; which acket is formed around the exhaust pipe 17 and is utilized to heat the water being pumped into the acket 18 by means of a pump 26 through the pipes 27. and 28.

With an engine of this type having a water jacket or boiler around the working cylinder and utilizing the same to generate steam under pressure, the temperature of the coinbustion chamber will be much higher than in the ordinary internal combustion engine where the cylinders are cooled by circulation of water around the same.

This will enable the engine to operate with a muchweaker mixture which is obtained by using steam to drive out the exhaust gases and part of the steam remaining in the cylinder with an engine of this type, preignition is entirely overcome by having one cylinder takein the mixture and at the time of compression and forcing it into the other cylinder to be ignited. Since the explosion cylinder is provided with a quantity: of steam, the mixture is not exploded until the end of the compression stroke when suiticient'explosive mixture is forced into the steam to permit the ignition thereof, thus permitting to operate the engine under a high temperature without pro-ignition.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible ofivarious changes and modifications, Without'departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its adllt vantages, and I accordingly claim all such forms of the device to which I am entitled.

aving thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. in an internal combustion engine operating in combination with steam, a pair of cylinr ers connected in tandem, pistons operable in said cylinders, said cylinders consisting of a compression cylinder and a working cylinder, said working cylinder being formed into a pair of working compartments including an upper explosive compartment, and a lower steam expansion compartment, a common exhaust for the disposal of burnt gases and exhaust steam from said compartments communicable with each compartment upon opposite strokes of the piston therein, a connecting rod extending between said pistons, and individual explosive mixture and steam feed means carried by the connecting rod for alternately feeding said explosive mixture and steam respectively into said explosive and expansive compartments.

In an internal combustion engine operating in combination with steam, a pair of cylinders connected in tandem, pistons operable in said cylinders, said cylinders consisting of a compression cylinder and a working cylinder, said working cylinder being formed with a pair of working compartments including an upper explosive compartment, and a lower steam expansion compartment, a common exhaust for the disposal of burnt gases nd exhaust steam from said compartments communicable with each compartment upon the opposite strokes of the piston therein, a connecting rod extending between said pistons. and individual explosive mixture and steam feed means carried by the connecting rod for alternately feeding said explosive mixture and steam respectively into said explosive and expansion compartments, at opposite strokes of said pistons.

3. In an internal combustion engine operating in combination wit-h steam, a pair of cylinders connected in tandem, pistons operable in said cylinders, said cylinders consisting of a compression cylinder and a working cylinder, said working cylinder being formed with a pair of working compartments including an upper explosive compartment, and a lower steam expansion compartment, a common exhaust for the disposal of burnt gases and exhaust steam from said compartments communicable with each compartment upon opposite strokes of the piston therein, individual explosive mixture and steam feed means carried by the connecting rod for alternately feeding said explosive mixture and iteam respectively into said explosive and expansion compartments, at opposite strokes of the piston, and means for feeding the steam from said expansion chamber into the ex plosive chamber.

at. In an internal combustion engine opereating in combination with steam, a pair of cylinders connected in tandem, pistons operable in said cylinders,sa1d cylinderscon-slstcluding an upper explosive compartment, and a lowersteam expansion compartment, a-common exhaust for the disposal of burnt gases and exhaust steam from said compartments eonnnumcable with the respective compartments upon opposite strokes ofthe piston therein, individual explosive mixture and steam feed means carried by the connect-mg rod for alternately feeding said explosive mixture and steam respectively into said explosive and expansion compartments at opposite strokes of the pistons, and means for feeding the steam fromsaid expansion chamber into the exploslve chamber at the end 01"- the power stroke of the piston in said working cylinder.

5. An internal combustion and steam engine comprising a pair of cylinders arranged in tandem and constituting compression and working cylinders, a feed box interposed between said cylinders, a piston operable in each of said cylinders, a connecting rod for the same extending through said feed box, an explosive mixture feed port communicable with said compression cylinder, a steam feed pipe communicable with said teed box, a feed pipe extending through said connecting rod adapted to feed the compressed mixture from said compression cylinder to the working cylinder, said working cylinder having separate Working chambers in its op posite ends, consisting of an explosive chamber and a steam expansion chamber and having a common exhaust port communicable with the respective chambers upon opposite strokes of the piston therein and means extending through the connecting rod for feeding steam from the feed box into said expansion chamber.

6, An internal combustion and steam en gine comprising a pair of cylinders arranged in tandem and constituting compression and working cylinders, a feed box interposed between said cylinders, a piston operable in each of said cylinders, a connecting rod forthe same extending through said feed box, an explosive mixture feed port communicable with said compression cylinder, a steam feed pipe communicable with said feed box, a feed pipe extending through said connecting rod adapted to feed the compressed mixture from said compressioncylinder to the working cylinder, said working cylinder having separate working chambers in its opposite ends, con sisting of an explosive chamber and a steam expansion chamber and having a. common exhaust port communicable with the respective chambers upon opposite strokes of the piston therein and means formed in the connecting rod for feeding steam from the feed box into said expansion chamber at the end of the power stroke of the piston.

7. In an internal combustion engine operating in combination with steam, a closed engine cylinder having explosion and expansion chambers in its opposite ends, a steam chamber outwardly of one end of the cylinder, a piston operable in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod for the piston extended through the expansion chamber end of the cylinder and into said steam chamber, said rod having ports for admitting steam from the steam chamber into the expansion chamber, a passage movable with the piston providing communication between the explosion and expansion chambers and valves for the passage operable for opening movement for admitting steam into the explosion chamber upon the completion of the power stroke of the piston.

PAUL E. PERRENOUD. 

